


To the Edge of the Earth

by Golbez



Category: Shin Megami Tensei II, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Genre: Angels are Dicks, Brainwashing, Final War, M/M, Mercy Killing, True Demon Ending, insomnia fueled writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-22
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-11-26 11:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/650063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golbez/pseuds/Golbez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Angels play their trump card in the Final War. It doesn't go as well as they expect, not when said trump card is the only human Lucifer ever loved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To the Edge of the Earth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiniNephthys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/gifts), [Hezza](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Hezza).



> I'm still blaming Hezza and Mini for the existence of this fic. Title is from This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars.
> 
> Additionally, [Mini](http://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/) made an [excellent mixtape](http://8tracks.com/mininephthys/it-could-never-be-anything-like-before) to go with this fic and it's perfect so you all should go listen if you like this fic.

Whatever the Angels had been planning, it had not been enough to turn the tides of war. With Hitoshura at Lucifer's side, bringing the fight to the gates of heaven had been easy. Overrun, and taken by surprise, the Angels could do nothing but retreat to the innermost palace.

Victory was at hand. At Raidou's insistence the Generals of the Abyss met for one last time, standing or floating in a circle. They were getting impatient, restless. The past few cycles had been nothing but waiting and tactics and strategy and then a burst of fighting and then waiting again. They were here. They were at the enemy's doorstep. All they had to do was push, and it would be over. The war would truly be theirs.

"They will be desperate," warned Raidou, though he knew most of them were too impatient to listen. "Just as we are ready to give them our all, they will be ready to return the favor."

He had barely finished his words when an explosion blossomed in the distance, punctuated by the screams of dying demons. Without a moment's hesitation, the generals of the abyss moved out, taking their posts, spreading out as the survivors of the attack began to appear.

For the second time since the Fall, a complete silence fell upon the demons of the Abyss.

Lucifer saw fit to break it, striding out of his metaphysical tent, in full demonic glory, and into their midst. The crowd of demons parted for him.

"The Angels can do nothing to stop us. We press on," he said, voice booming through the camp. The demons remained silent.

"Lord Lucifer -" Beelzebub, shoved forward by the rest of the demonic horde. "We have. A slight. complication."

More explosions filled the air, in the distance.

"What is it?"

"Well, the Hitoshura iz fighting said complication right now -"

_"What is it?"_

"It's - It's..." Beelzebub hesitated a moment longer, whether because he knew he was in for a world of hurt if Lucifer reacted badly to the news, or because he actually cared about how the news would affect said demon lord, no one would ever know. "It's Aleph."

***

They'd been fighting for - well, Shura wasn't keeping track. All he knew was attack, dodge, defend, attack, dodge, attack, defend. Attack again. It didn't bother him, not in the least, he _lived_ for this kind of life, he _lived_ for this sort of fight. The bloodshed and the endless battles of the final war had been to his utmost liking.

No holding back, no barriers. He didn't question the things that he saw, the things he did, what orders he were given.

But the explosions had come, and at their center, surrounded by the bodies of dead demons, stood a human.

No, Shura had corrected himself, not a human.

Because humans didn't fight like this. They didn't wield bombs infused with holy power, they didn't have eyes that flashed blue and white, or swords that glowed in similar colors.

His opponent wasn't human, couldn't be. It was a mere copy of one, a facsimile of what made man precisely that - man. Created by the Angels, Shura was certain of it, a last ditch effort to stop the demons. So far they had been successful, driving back the demons in this area, killing more than they could spare.

And Shura, for all that he had done as a demon, no matter how much of his humanity he had shed, found this - this _pawn_ of the angels an insult.

He had charged at the other, and the facsimile, still silent, had done the same.

***

Lucifer alighted, massive frame and wings casting the area in shadow. The combatants below did not notice him, taking no heed of his presence. Still, they fought.

A moment later, and Lucifer's form had changed, twisting in on itself, shadows rising from the clouds beneath their feet, an impenetrable coat of change.

Louis Cyphre stepped out, and cleared his throat.

Hitoshura broke off from the fight, dodged a slash, then whirled away, towards the gentleman at the edge of their makeshift arena.

"Lucifer -"

The blonde gentleman stepped past the bewildered Hitoshura, towards the revived Messiah.

"Aleph." It was an old name, and the way Louis spoke it was as though he had been saying it everyday for the past millions of cycles. A familiar name on his tongue, and filled with as much affection as one might find in the voice of the devil. The revived Messiah went still, sword raised in hand, flashing eyes casting their gaze on him.

"What have they done to you?"

He knew, of course. He knew exactly what the Angels had done, could see it just from the way Aleph moved, the way suffering coursed through him, silent as he was.

The Aleph before him was not the Aleph he remembered. There was no spark in those eyes. No smile that touched those lips. Not a hint of grace in those movements. Nothing that made Aleph whom he was.

Another copy, another recreation.

He knew what the Angels had done, and they will pay.

Lucifer will make them pay.

He reached out, fingers then palm touching Aleph's cheek, and felt sharp coldness crawling up his arm. Not a single whisper of the warmth they had once shared with each other.

"Why do you falter, Aleph?" A voice, from above. Lucifer did not need to look to know whom it belonged to.

Lucifer had nothing to say to Michael - in the next moment he returned to his most demonic form, snarling, slamming the surprised Archangel to the ground with one clawed hand.

**NO MORE POINTLESS FIGHTING. YOU DIE _HERE._**

***

Afterwards, when heaven had become silent, when the battles were through and there was only the self. When the demons had spread and taken their fill of what remained of the Angels -

After the war is won -

Louis watched as Aleph's eyes turned dark. Under the touch of dark-tipped fingers, warmth returned to the pale skin, and the Messiah smiled. It was a smile that carried the burden of millions of cycles without rest.

Louis looked into those old, old eyes, and saw straight into Aleph's soul.

He imagined, for a moment, keeping Aleph here with him, forever. It would be like before. Before all this, before the Messiah's fall. When it was sometimes just the two of them, caught in a dance of flesh and unspoken affection, and sometimes more than just that. When they could ignore what they both had known was rushing towards them, when they could ignore it all and maybe pretend they had only each other to care about.

They had forever now, after all.

Louis knew it would be nothing like before.

It could never be anything like before.

"Rest now," he murmured, and Aleph wordlessly closed his eyes for the first time in cycles.

And later, after the celebrations were over, after everyone finally left him be once more, after decisions were made and everything necessary was done with, at long, long last -

After it all...

Though time meant nothing now, the demons were clamoring for that which had been promised them. Still, he took a moment to stand at the edge of the new world, pressing his fist to his lips, eyes closed. Any demon who saw him might laugh first, then stop and fall silent as they realized he was remembering.

He was remembering all the worlds he'd seen through. All the plans and plots he'd weaved. All the games he'd ended and started anew. All the people, all his chosen, all those whom he watched over in one way or another. All who had died in vain. All who had failed to defy the now-dead enemy. He was remembering them all, turning time back in his mind to the time before time, to the Angels he no longer had to worry about. To the time before the first creation. To the children he left behind. To those who had in turn left him behind. All whom he had cared for. All gone now.

He was remembering time spent sitting alone with one other, their breaths caught on the flowing wind of the freed world. He was remembering the lights and sounds of the bar they first met in. He was remembering the way dark locks fell over pale skin, lush and unbefitting a warrior. He was remembering how he'd run his hands over that skin afterwards, how each touch he dealt was met in kind, blow for blow as a warrior would in a fight. He was remembering whispered assurances. He was remembering how they never promised each other anything, for they both knew there was no use in promising what could not be given.

He was remembering what it meant to truly fight for something.

He remembered it all.

Red eyes fluttering open. A fist held out. Fingers uncurling.

Lucifer cast the dust that had once been Aleph into the waiting creation.

And he knew then, for whom the fight had truly been for all along.


End file.
